Processes for making absorbent composite materials having a superabsorbent polymer component are known. In various processes, preformed superabsorbent polymer particles or fibers are combined with cellulose fibers, thermoplastic fibers and the like in a web formation process to make a composite web structure. Illustrative processes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,464 to Lau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,324 to Anderson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,624 to Georger et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,559 to Eschwey et al. These processes are commonly referred to as “coform” processes.
Additionally, a process is known where a superabsorbent polymer is only partially formed from a precursor monomer before being added to a fibrous substrate, and the polymerization is completed after the partially polymerized monomer contacts the substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,068 to Tsuchiya et al. discloses a water-absorptive composite including a fibrous substrate and water-absorptive polymer particles. The water-absorptive polymer is partially polymerized with the aid of a redox initiator before being added to the fibrous substrate. The partially polymerized material is added in a dropwise fashion in a single stream to the substrate, and the polymerization reaction then proceeds to completion.
One feature that the known processes have in common, is that they require at least some separate process steps for polymerizing or partially polymerizing the superabsorbent material before it can be added to the fibrous substrate. In other words, neither process totally forms the superabsorbent polymer within the fibrous substrate.